1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to steam turbines and, more specifically, to an oil flushing adapter used to improve the flushing of the oil supply piping to the rotor bearings of a steam turbine with the rotor in place.
2. Description of the Related Art
Near the end of a turbine outage in, especially one which the bearing oil system has been violated, it is desirable to perform an oil flush operation whereby oil is pumped through the system to flush out contaminants. The oil is sampled at each bearing location to verify system cleanliness. The oil flush is to be performed as late as possible in the outage with the turbine reassembled to the fullest extent possible.
FIG. 1 shows one type of bearing configuration in which oil passages through a lower bearing support ring are not easily accessible for tapping or bolt-on conventional flushing blocks, adapters or plates, A typical bolt-on adapter is shown in FIG. 2. Conventional flushes of the type conducted with the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 were conducted with uncontrolled oil flushing, without provision for collection and sampling. Flushes using temporary adapter flushing plates as shown in FIG. 2 can only be used when the oil passages of the bearing support or lower half of the bear are easily accessible.
It is desirable to be able to collect the oil which flows to a bearing for sampling, and to be able to shut off the flow of oil at a bearing when it has been verified as clean. This increases the flow of oil to other bearings, thereby hastening the flushing process.